Ethereum Foundation Launches New Testnet Amid Network Challenges

According to PANews, the Ethereum Foundation has announced issues with the deposit contract configuration on Ethereum testnets during the activation of the Pectra testnet. While the Sepolia network has been fully restored following a straightforward recovery process, the Holesky network experienced significant inactive leaks during its recovery. Although Holesky has achieved final confirmation, it will take approximately a year for exiting validators to be completely removed from the validator set. Despite this, stakers can test deposits, merges, and all other Pectra features, but the size of the exit queue makes Holesky unsuitable for testing the full validator lifecycle within a reasonable timeframe. To address this issue, a new testnet named Hoodi has been launched. It will activate the Pectra network upgrade at epoch 2048 on March 26, 2025, at 15:37:12 UTC+8. In the future, staking operators and infrastructure providers are advised to use Hoodi for validator testing. To allow time for migration, the Holesky testnet will be supported until September 2025. Apart from validator exits, all other Pectra features can be tested on Holesky. The testnets and their purposes are summarized as follows: - Holesky: For validators and staking providers, with an expected termination date of September 30, 2025. Client developers will also use Holesky to test gas limit increases and other protocol stress tests. - Sepolia: For application and tool developers, with an expected termination date of September 30, 2026. - Hoodi: For validators and staking providers, with an expected termination date of September 30, 2028. A planned replacement for Sepolia is expected to launch in March 2026.